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Wings of Fire Graphic Novel #4
The Dark Secret
The #1 New York Times bestselling Wings of Fire series soars to new heights in the fourth graphic novel adaptation!
In the shadows, trouble is brewing...
The mysterious NightWings keep everything hidden, from their home and their queen to their allegiance in the war. Now they've kidnapped their own dragonet of destiny, and Starflight is finally meeting the rest of his tribe -- whether he wants to or not.
The NightWings have also kidnapped several innocent RainWings, now trapped in the dark, barren, miserable place that is the NightWing kingdom. Starflight wants to help the RainWings, but he's busy saving his own scales and trying to find a way back to his friends. The fate of two kingdoms rests in his talons, and with no one to save him, Starflight will have to find a way to be brave...before it's too late.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2020
944 people are currently reading
2997 people want to read
About the author
Tui T. Sutherland
170 books6,347 followersOkay, I know what you’re thinking. Tui? What kind of name is that? Is it short for something?
Nope. Among the many great things to come out of New Zealand (the Lord of the Rings movies, cats that paint, my mom) is a bird called the tui—not as well known as the kiwi, but a heck of a lot noisier!
I was born July 31 (same birthday as Harry Potter!) in Caracas, Venezuela, and lived in Asuncion, Paraguay; Miami, Florida; and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, before moving to New Jersey in high school, where I started doing theatre—mostly backstage work, because (a) it was fun, and (b) you got to hang out in the dark with cute boys. (Er, I mean . . . because it was artistically fulfilling, yes.)
I graduated from Williams College in ’98 and I currently live in Boston with my husband, my perfect new baby, and my adorable yoodle Sunshine (what’s a yoodle? A puppy that’s three-quarters poodle and one-quarter Yorkshire terrier, of course!).
Much to my parents’ relief, I abandoned my theatrical aspirations after college for the far more stable and lucrative career of fiction writing.
My first two official books were beginning readers, part of Grosset & Dunlap’s “First Friends” series for kids learning to read. MEET MO AND ELLA is tough to find now, but FUN WITH MO AND ELLA should still be out there somewhere.
My first novel for teenagers was THIS MUST BE LOVE, which retells Shakespeare’s play A Midsummer Night’s Dream in a modern-day high school, from the POV of the two heroines, Hermia and Helena.
And now I'm writing in a new project called SEEKERS! It's a children's book series that I'm writing with Erin Hunter. Check out my blog to find out more!
Nope. Among the many great things to come out of New Zealand (the Lord of the Rings movies, cats that paint, my mom) is a bird called the tui—not as well known as the kiwi, but a heck of a lot noisier!
I was born July 31 (same birthday as Harry Potter!) in Caracas, Venezuela, and lived in Asuncion, Paraguay; Miami, Florida; and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, before moving to New Jersey in high school, where I started doing theatre—mostly backstage work, because (a) it was fun, and (b) you got to hang out in the dark with cute boys. (Er, I mean . . . because it was artistically fulfilling, yes.)
I graduated from Williams College in ’98 and I currently live in Boston with my husband, my perfect new baby, and my adorable yoodle Sunshine (what’s a yoodle? A puppy that’s three-quarters poodle and one-quarter Yorkshire terrier, of course!).
Much to my parents’ relief, I abandoned my theatrical aspirations after college for the far more stable and lucrative career of fiction writing.
My first two official books were beginning readers, part of Grosset & Dunlap’s “First Friends” series for kids learning to read. MEET MO AND ELLA is tough to find now, but FUN WITH MO AND ELLA should still be out there somewhere.
My first novel for teenagers was THIS MUST BE LOVE, which retells Shakespeare’s play A Midsummer Night’s Dream in a modern-day high school, from the POV of the two heroines, Hermia and Helena.
And now I'm writing in a new project called SEEKERS! It's a children's book series that I'm writing with Erin Hunter. Check out my blog to find out more!
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 267 reviews
January 2, 2021
great book, I already knew what happened because i already read the non graphic novel version but the drawings were amazing
December 31, 2020
3.6 stars
I loved this adaption of the fourth book of Wings of Fire! That being said, the fourth book was one of my least favorite books in the series because of the lack of action.
The art continues to be beautiful throughout the series, and I feel like the spirit of these books are well communicated. Super entertaining, can't wait for the next one!
Have a wonderful afternoon 😎.
I loved this adaption of the fourth book of Wings of Fire! That being said, the fourth book was one of my least favorite books in the series because of the lack of action.
The art continues to be beautiful throughout the series, and I feel like the spirit of these books are well communicated. Super entertaining, can't wait for the next one!
Have a wonderful afternoon 😎.
August 3, 2021
If any character was ever like me, it is Starflight. Obsessed with scrolls, smart- but that also adds to their anxiety, hopelessly in love with a friend :)
Relate.
I don’t read a lot of graphic novels, but this one seemed to be formatted really well?
Even if it wasn’t, I love these characters and books with all my heart that it couldn’t ruin it for me!
Relate.
I don’t read a lot of graphic novels, but this one seemed to be formatted really well?
Even if it wasn’t, I love these characters and books with all my heart that it couldn’t ruin it for me!
September 5, 2024
Yass my boy Starflight!!! 🥰😍😘
May 1, 2024
Yay wings of fire
graphic novel book 4
graphic novel book 4
June 18, 2025
noo starflight got blinded by the volcanic eruption 😭 also blaze is my fav <3 even though i haven’t read this since 4th grade i remembered a lot!
January 1, 2021
This was an enjoyable and quick read. It was interesting seeing Nightwing Island in this art style. Speaking of the art style I rather like it. It gives all the dragons the scary edge that they have in the original designs but keeps a slightly cartoony vibe allowing them to express their range of emotions correctly. My only qualm with this book is that it didn't have proper transitions between scenes. If you haven't already read the original novel this would be very confusing to follow. I read the novel before I read this and I still found myself checking to see if I'd skipped a page. Conversation topics would change without warning and there were no breaks or proper endings to most scenes. Overall a wonderfully drawn book that sums up the fourth novel well, but hard to understand without reading the novel first.
February 14, 2024
Within the pages of The Dark Secret, we are transported into the depths of Starflight's mind as he unravels the mysterious secrets of the Nightwing home and their role in the Dragonet Prophecy. With vivid illustrations and powerful dialogue, I couldn't help but feel a strong connection to Starflight's inner struggles with anxiety and his unwavering determination to uncover the truth. Being a devoted fan of this series, I will always highly recommend it. It perfectly captures the essence of the story and leaves readers craving for more.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 7, 2020
i want to read this soooo bad also their are making a 5th one too its the ice wing
October 19, 2021
The artwork is top notch and it is loyal to the series. I hope the artist continues to create beautiful panels for this special series.
Read
November 8, 2021wings of fire lovers will love it!!
January 20, 2024
This book is so good.
July 23, 2024
Painful. Not sure how this became such a popular book. We will not be continuing the series.
June 14, 2025
This book was four stars because it was going all over the place and I couldn’t really understand it. But I still love dragons. The end.
May 5, 2025
The graphic novel format really brought the intrigue and terror of the volcanic island (where most of this story takes place) to life— loved the panels set against the backsplash of the lava! The panel layouts, composition, and color seemed sharper in this book than in the previous graphic novels. It did the chapter book justice and then some!
December 27, 2020
Hello, it's me again. I don't think I've given any of these comics a really good rating, and yet I keep buying them and reading them. That's on me. I do adore this series, but my gripe is with the comic books' format.
My biggest issue with this was the spliced scenes. If I hadn't read the original, I would have been pretty confused about some of the stuff going on. I get that for space, they can only make the book so big, but I always feel like important scenes or even just little offhand comments to help you know there'll be a scene change are always left out.
There were specific instances of Starflight having dreams where it's never mentioned he's going to bed, in bed, or dreaming and suddenly it's him chilling with his friends. And yes, it's obviously a dream once you start reading through the page, but it's more the fact that there's no explanation to some of these sudden changes.
The art, I feel, was better in this than it has been in the others. I felt the facial expressions may have been the most well-done in this book. That being said, Fatespeaker and Starflight looked almost identical. The only differences were the eye color and muzzle length/width, which, depending on an enormous variety of angles you're seeing them at, they looked the same. So be sure to figure out what eye color Starflight has, I guess, if you want to know which one he is.
And, again, this book is a lil bit violent. Which, yeah, the main ones are as well. It's just kinda weird to see dragons so casually murdered on page of a children's book, ya know?
So I guess take this all with a grain of salt. I do love the series and the dragons, but these comics feel...lackluster to be sure. Really the only reason I have been buying them is I wanted the main series for drawing references and for pictures of all the kingdoms. .-.
My biggest issue with this was the spliced scenes. If I hadn't read the original, I would have been pretty confused about some of the stuff going on. I get that for space, they can only make the book so big, but I always feel like important scenes or even just little offhand comments to help you know there'll be a scene change are always left out.
There were specific instances of Starflight having dreams where it's never mentioned he's going to bed, in bed, or dreaming and suddenly it's him chilling with his friends. And yes, it's obviously a dream once you start reading through the page, but it's more the fact that there's no explanation to some of these sudden changes.
The art, I feel, was better in this than it has been in the others. I felt the facial expressions may have been the most well-done in this book. That being said, Fatespeaker and Starflight looked almost identical. The only differences were the eye color and muzzle length/width, which, depending on an enormous variety of angles you're seeing them at, they looked the same. So be sure to figure out what eye color Starflight has, I guess, if you want to know which one he is.
And, again, this book is a lil bit violent. Which, yeah, the main ones are as well. It's just kinda weird to see dragons so casually murdered on page of a children's book, ya know?
So I guess take this all with a grain of salt. I do love the series and the dragons, but these comics feel...lackluster to be sure. Really the only reason I have been buying them is I wanted the main series for drawing references and for pictures of all the kingdoms. .-.
February 24, 2021
I was more than a little frustrated when back at it's initial release date I was told it was getting delayed two months but I am more than happy to wait the extra time for these graphic novel editions of these beloved novels.
The Dark Secret follows Starflight as he learns more about the Nightwing home and their plans surrounding the Dragonet Prophecy. Even in graphic novel form, I empathised with Starflight's anxiety and perserverance throughout his character-building journey.
A solid 5/5 stars, but I may be the slightest bit biased by my absolute love of these books.
The Dark Secret follows Starflight as he learns more about the Nightwing home and their plans surrounding the Dragonet Prophecy. Even in graphic novel form, I empathised with Starflight's anxiety and perserverance throughout his character-building journey.
A solid 5/5 stars, but I may be the slightest bit biased by my absolute love of these books.
February 18, 2021
I remember this being my least favorite of the Wings of Fire series (at least the first five books), but I found myself enjoying it more in graphic novel format. These are characters I’ve been reading about since middle school and it’s always nice to revisit them!
January 1, 2026
I loved it. My favorite part was when Starflight, the NightWing dragonet realizes his tribe can read minds. Th exact quotes are pretty funny.
“Except Glory might be queen by now! And RainWings are usually pacifists! And— SHUT UP, THOUGHTS!
“Except Glory might be queen by now! And RainWings are usually pacifists! And— SHUT UP, THOUGHTS!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 29, 2023
I unfortunately read this book two years after it came out. Better late than never I suppose! The art continues to get better, seeing the Nightwing fortress in full-color is such a treat for the eyes, every single page never will cease to amaze me.
March 8, 2023
This is one of my favorite book Series as a kid. So going back and reading the books was a magical experience.Deathbringer is still my favorite character in this book by the way:)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 31, 2024
Well, now I'm crying.
December 31, 2025
Very low four stars. This’ll probably be a short review again; I don’t have much to say about this one.
This book is lower than the last few because it’s one of my least favorite WoF books, not because this graphic novel is particularly worse or anything. Writing-wise, there isn’t much to say. I think this book still does a good job keeping exposition to a minimum, at least generally. Starflight has a lot more thoughts than dialogue compared to the previous protagonists, and it was noticeable, but thought bubbles work just a well as speech bubbles in this medium, so that wasn’t a big deal to me.
Honestly, artwise this is the book where some things start to become a problem, though. First, tiny faces are still an issue. That will always bother me. But second, and more importantly, this is the book where the side characters start to have same-face syndrome. 80% of the NightWings look the same, with the exceptions of Starflight, Morrowseer, and Fatespeaker. Everyone else is hard to distinguish. Even Queen Battlewinner looks just like Morrowseer; she’s distinguished because she‘s in a lava pit, not because she actually looks unique. I wasn’t struggling to tell characters apart in this one, since the background NightWings don’t play any important role, really. But had they (Greatness, Fierceteeth, Mightyclaws, etc.) been more important, it might have become an actual problem (looking at you, IceWings in Winter Turning).
Other than that, a couple few frames still had heavier lineart, and I still can’t figure out why. I wish the artists would stick with one line weight or give a viable reason for the switch to thicker lines.
That’s about it. Not my favorite graphic novel, but still chock-full of beautiful illustrations! Onto the next one!
SERIES RATINGS:
The Dragonet Prophecy: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Lost Heir: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Hidden Kingdom: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Dark Secret: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Brightest Night: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Moon Rising: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Winter Turning: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Escaping Peril: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Talons of Power: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Darkstalker: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book is lower than the last few because it’s one of my least favorite WoF books, not because this graphic novel is particularly worse or anything. Writing-wise, there isn’t much to say. I think this book still does a good job keeping exposition to a minimum, at least generally. Starflight has a lot more thoughts than dialogue compared to the previous protagonists, and it was noticeable, but thought bubbles work just a well as speech bubbles in this medium, so that wasn’t a big deal to me.
Honestly, artwise this is the book where some things start to become a problem, though. First, tiny faces are still an issue. That will always bother me. But second, and more importantly, this is the book where the side characters start to have same-face syndrome. 80% of the NightWings look the same, with the exceptions of Starflight, Morrowseer, and Fatespeaker. Everyone else is hard to distinguish. Even Queen Battlewinner looks just like Morrowseer; she’s distinguished because she‘s in a lava pit, not because she actually looks unique. I wasn’t struggling to tell characters apart in this one, since the background NightWings don’t play any important role, really. But had they (Greatness, Fierceteeth, Mightyclaws, etc.) been more important, it might have become an actual problem (looking at you, IceWings in Winter Turning).
Other than that, a couple few frames still had heavier lineart, and I still can’t figure out why. I wish the artists would stick with one line weight or give a viable reason for the switch to thicker lines.
That’s about it. Not my favorite graphic novel, but still chock-full of beautiful illustrations! Onto the next one!
SERIES RATINGS:
The Dragonet Prophecy: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Lost Heir: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Hidden Kingdom: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Dark Secret: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Brightest Night: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Moon Rising: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Winter Turning: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Escaping Peril: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Talons of Power: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Darkstalker: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 24, 2022
See my review of The Dragonet Prophecy. Most of my review of that applies to this book. Link to review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
~
I enjoyed this book about as much as the third book (The Hidden Kingdom). The plot seemed better than developed than the previous books. And I enjoyed seeing Starflight grow a little more confident. Looking forward to reading the last book. Hoping for an epic conclusion. XD Maybe I shouldn't set myself up for disappointment, though...
~
I enjoyed this book about as much as the third book (The Hidden Kingdom). The plot seemed better than developed than the previous books. And I enjoyed seeing Starflight grow a little more confident. Looking forward to reading the last book. Hoping for an epic conclusion. XD Maybe I shouldn't set myself up for disappointment, though...
March 19, 2025
4✰
Every dragon gets their own book and this is obviously Starflight’s, but it felt like the other four just entirely disappeared. I think the og book was better in that department; it’s been awhile since I’ve read it.
Also, every Nightwing looks so similar. It’s tough to tell them all apart. Plus, it’s a darker illustrated book in the first place.
Lastly, prob an unpopular opinion, but I can’t bring myself to care about Sunny and Starflight. Yolo.
Every dragon gets their own book and this is obviously Starflight’s, but it felt like the other four just entirely disappeared. I think the og book was better in that department; it’s been awhile since I’ve read it.
Also, every Nightwing looks so similar. It’s tough to tell them all apart. Plus, it’s a darker illustrated book in the first place.
Lastly, prob an unpopular opinion, but I can’t bring myself to care about Sunny and Starflight. Yolo.
May 8, 2025
This graphic novel is actually a great adaptation of the original novel, although I just wasn’t a fan of this particular book. I thought it was a bit all over the place and involved too many new characters at once. In addition to that, we don’t actually get to see our core group of dragonets until the very end… with all that being said, this book still does play a key role in the series as a whole.
October 15, 2021
In person with Ryan. Loved it.
Read
June 2, 2022I think it cold have been better and that the other books are also better but you will need to read this book if you are reading the series.
October 7, 2023
6 stars. This was SUCH A GOOD COOL AND FUN BOOK TO READ! Literally in LUUVVVVV with Starflight, he's amazing. The plot twist got me at the endddd I cant wait to read the next book!!!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 267 reviews